Nelson Bay flood map & planning overlays
A planning-constraint profile of Nelson Bay
(Circular Head, TAS) - 31.57 km², mapped from live council and
state overlay data. This suburb is highly constrained.
Profile updated 6 September 2026.
Suburb-wide figures; the free map shows which overlays touch your lot.
Constraint readout
31.57 km² - this suburb is highly constrained by planning overlays.
Elevation hillshade with street names, clipped to Nelson Bay's boundary, with the flood, bushfire and environmental overlays drawn on top.
Nearby suburbs, nearest first
Nelson Bay at a glance
How Nelson Bay is zoned
Buying in Nelson Bay? The zone and code overlays on this page are the Tasmanian Planning Scheme controls a section 337 certificate reports for a title.
Across its 31.57 km², Nelson Bay is highly constrained by planning overlays. About 26% of the suburb sits within a mapped flood overlay, and 100% is flagged bushfire-prone. The dominant land-use zone is Environmental Management. The median lot measures about 4,267 m² across 21 parcels.
Who lives in Nelson Bay
Census 2021 figures published by the ABS for the Nelson Bay suburb boundary itself, not a wider region.
Socio-economic standing
ABS SEIFA 2021 ranks every Australian suburb. Decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth of the country, decile 10 the least.
Score 962, and decile 7 within Tasmania. The national average is 1000.
Population trend, 2001 to 2025
Estimated resident population of North West, the wider ABS statistical area containing Nelson Bay. There is no annual population series published at suburb level, so this describes the surrounding area rather than Nelson Bay itself.
4,238 in 2001 to 4,400 in 2025, up 4%.
Source: ABS Census 2021 and SEIFA 2021 (Suburbs and Localities), Regional Population (SA2), CC BY 4.0. Small counts are randomly adjusted by the ABS.
Nelson Bay data sources and coverage
“Not mapped” means we hold no source layer for this suburb - never an all-clear.
| Dataset | Coverage | Publisher |
|---|---|---|
| Flood mapping | Mapped | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Bushfire-prone mapping | Mapped | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Zoning | Mapped | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Heritage and environment | Mapped where published | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania) |
| Aircraft noise contours (ANEF) | Not held | the Tasmanian Planning Scheme and the LIST (Land Tasmania), Defence |
| Observed flight paths | Watched, not yet sampled here | adsb.lol, under the Open Database License |
| Demographics | Available | Australian Bureau of Statistics (2021 Census and SEIFA) |
Profile last materially updated 6 September 2026. See the methodology and full source list. Source data changes over time and critical decisions should be checked with the responsible authority.
Check a specific Nelson Bay address
See exactly which overlays touch a single property - the interactive map is free. Need it on paper? A full planning PDF is just $9.
Published flood models are held over parts of Nelson Bay. The free check tells you whether one reaches an address; where it does, a Flood Model Report is +$9 with the planning report.
See what's in the $9 report →Nelson Bay planning - frequently asked
Is Nelson Bay flood-prone?
About 26% of Nelson Bay falls within a mapped flood overlay, against the council-wide suburb average of 14%. Published flood models are held over parts of Nelson Bay; the free check on the Flood Model Report page says whether one reaches a given address.
Is Nelson Bay bushfire-prone?
Around 100% of Nelson Bay is mapped as bushfire-prone, compared with a Circular Head average of 99%.
What is the zoning in Nelson Bay?
The dominant planning zone in Nelson Bay is Environmental Management, though the suburb also includes Landscape Conservation and Rural.
Does Nelson Bay have heritage-listed places?
No heritage-listed places are on record within Nelson Bay.
What is the typical lot size in Nelson Bay?
Across 21 surveyed parcels in Nelson Bay, the median lot size is about 4,267 m².
Is Nelson Bay an advantaged suburb?
On the ABS SEIFA 2021 index of relative socio-economic advantage and disadvantage (IRSAD), Nelson Bay scores 962 and sits in decile 4 of 10 nationally and decile 7 within Tasmania (decile 1 is the most disadvantaged tenth, decile 10 the least).
Compare nearby suburbs
| Nearby suburb | Distance | Flood mapped | Bushfire-prone |
|---|---|---|---|
| Couta Rocks | 5.7 km | 15% | 100% |
| Arthur River | 8.7 km | 17% | 100% |
| Temma | 12.6 km | 15% | 100% |
| Redpa | 18.9 km | 14% | 100% |
| Togari | 22.6 km | 14% | 100% |
| Marrawah | 22.8 km | 15% | 100% |
| Roger River | 28.0 km | 21% | 100% |
| Christmas Hills | 31.7 km | 8% | 100% |
| Brittons Swamp | 32.0 km | 8% | 100% |
| West Montagu | 36.7 km | 13% | 100% |